In the second of the ECHO’s three-part series on Everton’s 1987 championship-winning side, Neil Pointon recalls the intense battle for places in the Blues side in his position.

LEIGHTON BAINES has made the left-back position his own at Goodison Park in recent years, earning England call-ups and this season being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Before being rested for Everton’s Easter Monday clash with Sunderland ahead of the Blues’ FA Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool, Baines had turned out in 99 consecutive games for David Moyes’ side.

Back in 1986/87 though, Howard Kendall had three separate specialist left-backs to choose from so with Neil Pointon starting the campaign sidelined through injury, the Mansfield-born player knew he would have a job on his hands getting back into such a successful side.

Pointon arrived on Merseyside in the autumn of 1985 to join Kendall’s champions in a £65,000 deal from Scunthorpe United and wore the number three jersey in 20 consecutive matches between December and March as Pat van den Hauwe covered for the injured Derek Mountfield at centre-back.

However, Mountfield’s return to fitness saw Pointon benched for the remainder of the campaign and he could only watch from the stands at the Blues finished runners-up to Liverpool in both league and FA Cup.

Injury then curtailed Pointon’s hopes of getting back into the team at the start of the 1986/87 title-winning season and by the time he was fit again there was even more competition for the left-back berth with Kendall having recruited veteran Paul Power from Manchester City.

Pointon was relieved to finally get his first start of the campaign in a 3-1 win at Maine Road on November 29 with Power switching to midfield against his former club and netting the third goal. The highlight for me was just getting back playing. The other players were coming in day after day in the treatment room saying ‘come on Neil, get well soon we want you back in the team and out there training’, recalls Pointon.

“The players – every single one of them – helped push me through the hard times. Neville (Southall) was also on the treatment table and everyone wanted to get back playing as soon as possible.

“We used a lot of players that season and everybody played their part but in training we really pushed each other week-in, week-out because we all wanted the same thing.

“I started that season on the treatment table then Pat (van den Hauwe) joined me and Howard (Kendall) comes along and says ‘I’m signing another left-back (Paul Power) – he’s only playing one year. But what a year!

“I looked at Paul throughout his career as a stalwart left-back who was very consistent then he came up with the performances at Everton that everyone was amazed by. He won his title medal and deservedly so – it was a fitting end to a great career.”

Pointon is delighted with current Everton left-back Baines’ progress at Goodison having watched him develop over several years.

Despite becoming the club’s most expensive defender when he signed from Wigan Athletic for £6million in 2007, Baines struggled to hold down a regular spot in Moyes’ starting line-up in his early Blues career, often playing second fiddle to Joleon Lescott but his rise was highlighted by his inclusion in the PFA’s Team of the Year this season.

Pointon said: “He’s a cracking player. My son is a season ticket holder at Wigan and watched him when he was coming through.

“You could always sense he had that style about him. He had a great left foot, the right attitude and he’s proven it now going ‘back’ to Everton.

“I can’t see anyone taking his place off him for a good few years.

“When he first came, he was used to playing a certain role. He’s very adventurous and people would say ‘there’s little Wigan coming along’ and you play with no fear whatsoever.

“But when you join a club like Everton, there are certain things that you need to do and have to do.

“Everyone finds it difficult when you go to a top club, myself included. You play so much on your adrenalin and enthusiasm.

“When you’ve got 11 other internationals showing the pedigree of what Everton needs then it does take you a little bit of time to settle into that and know your role.

“Leighton has come through that now and he will go on to better things.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of people knocking on the door for when Ashley (Cole) hangs up his boots at international level. He’ll definitely be pushing for World Cup qualifiers and finals.”

Further up the pitch, Pointon believes the upheaval of Mikel Arteta’s departure to Arsenal on transfer deadline day affected Everton in the early months of the season but he reckons that there is still plenty of quality in the Blues midfield.

He said: “At the start of the season some players weren’t performing and others left. The loss of Mikel Arteta knocked everyone.

“The players must have thought ‘we’ve done all this work and he’s our playmaker and he’s not here any more.’

“Leon Osman has filled that role very well, I think he’s a cracking player in midfield. Marouane Fellaini is so talented but he could do a bit more for me. He could really grab the midfield by the scruff of the neck and say ‘come play round me and hold it all together.”

Since the 1986/87 side Pointon played in finished League Champions, Everton have finished above their neighbours in the table just once when they came fourth in 2005 but the 47-year-old, who now works as an Academy coach at Bolton, admits he’d be delighted for his former side to take some consolation from the campaign by repeating that feat this month.

He said: “Every Evertonian would love Everton to finish above Liverpool in the league just for a bit of bragging rights.

“Liverpool have won one cup and reached the final of another by knocking Everton out but if Everton were to finish above them when you look at how much money the respective clubs have spent then it’s a positive end to the season.

“The players will be up for every game, everyone is fighting for next year and wants to be part of David Moyes’ squad for next season.”